Somatic Psychology integrates body and mind in therapeutic practice, recognizing the lived experience of the body as a legitimate and essential source of knowledge.
Complete in 6–12 Months
Explore the Body as a Foundation for Healing and Transformation
About the Somatic Psychology Certificate
The Somatic Psychology Certificate is a program offered through Meridian University's Center for Transformative Learning. Designed for professionals seeking to deepen their understanding of the body-mind connection and develop embodied approaches to therapeutic practice, the certificate draws on Meridian's graduate curriculum in somatic psychology to provide a comprehensive foundation in body-centered practice.
As a certificate participant, you will take courses from the anchor and other parts of Meridian's graduate curriculum offered during the period of your enrollment. This means you will engage with the same rigorous, faculty-led coursework that graduate students experience, tailored to the certificate's focus on somatic psychology principles and practices.
What is Somatic Psychology?
Somatic Psychology is a field that recognizes the body as a fundamental source of knowledge, experience, and healing. Drawing on research in neuroscience, embodiment, and movement, somatic psychology explores how physical experience shapes psychological well-being and how embodied awareness can be cultivated as a resource for personal and relational transformation. Somatic practitioners work with clients to develop deeper access to bodily experience, facilitating healing from trauma, stress, and the effects of cultural conditioning on the body.
Meridian's somatic psychology curriculum provides the scholarly research and embodied pedagogy that distinguish this certificate. The concentration understands the lived experience of the body as a legitimate but often marginalized source of knowledge. Coursework engages practices, methods, and topics including body metaphors, nonverbal felt experience, embodiment, and historical trauma. This approach ensures that certificate participants not only study somatic theory but develop their own embodied awareness as a foundation for professional practice.
The Expanding Field of Somatic Psychology
The growing body of research on the neuroscience of embodiment and the role of the body in psychological processes has elevated the significance of somatic approaches in therapeutic practice. Somatic psychology practitioners work in diverse settings including psychotherapy, somatic education, health and wellbeing coaching, employee wellness programs, and organizational development. As the field continues to expand, there is increasing demand for professionals who can skillfully integrate body-centered approaches into their work, bringing depth and nuance to the understanding of how the body shapes and supports psychological life.
Details
Certificate Details
- 16 credits of graduate-level coursework (4 courses at 4 credits each).
- Complete in 6 to 12 months — take 8 credits per quarter (6 months) or 4 credits per quarter (12 months).
- Courses are drawn from Meridian's graduate curriculum offered during the period of enrollment.
- Content and collaboration via Meridian's social learning platform.
Tuition
$476 per credit
Total certificate cost: $7,616 (16 credits)
Credits earned through the certificate may be applied toward a Meridian University graduate degree program, as applicable.
Accreditation
The Somatic Psychology Certificate is part of Meridian University's California state approval and WSCUC (WASC) accreditation. WSCUC is a higher education accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education. WSCUC is also the accreditor for Stanford University, UCLA, and the University of California at Berkeley.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the application requirements?
The documents below are required to complete an application for certificate programs:
- Certificate Application (opens in a new tab)
- Application Fee: A non-refundable application fee of $50 USD is required to process your application at the time of submission
- Official Bachelor's Transcript: Must be received in a sealed envelope and may be mailed directly to the University's Los Angeles Campus (2450 Colorado Avenue, Suite 100E, Santa Monica, CA 90404) from the academic institution. Electronic transcripts are accepted if sent directly from the academic institution to admissions@meridianuniversity.edu
- Personal Statement (500 words): Included as part of the application form and should highlight the formative and significant experiences in your life, and how those experiences have influenced you in choosing to pursue a certificate program
- Information Meeting Attendance: In addition to submitting application materials, it is necessary that applicants attend an information meeting with certificate program faculty prior to moving forward in the application process. Prior to scheduling an information meeting, we require prospects to meet with an Admissions Advisor to discuss their certificate program interests further
- If you have not already done so, please schedule this Advising Appointment using this link. Once you meet this requirement, we will follow up with the next steps to schedule an Information Meeting with the faculty
What is the Somatic Psychology Certificate?
The Somatic Psychology Certificate is a 16-credit program offered by Meridian University that provides a comprehensive foundation in Somatic Psychology. The certificate draws on courses from Meridian's graduate curriculum, offering rigorous, faculty-led coursework aligned with the certificate's focus area.
How long does it take to complete the certificate?
The certificate can be completed in as few as 6 months (taking 8 credits per quarter) or up to 12 months (taking 4 credits per quarter). Each course is 4 credits, and the program requires a total of 16 credits.
How much does the certificate cost?
Tuition for the Somatic Psychology Certificate is $476 per credit. The total cost for the 16-credit certificate is $7,616.
Can I apply these credits toward a Meridian degree?
Yes. Credits earned in the Somatic Psychology Certificate may be applied toward a Meridian University graduate degree program, as applicable. This allows you to build on your certificate work if you choose to pursue further graduate study at Meridian.
Is the certificate accredited?
Yes. The Somatic Psychology Certificate is part of Meridian University's California state approval and WSCUC (WASC) accreditation. WSCUC is a higher education accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education, and is also the accreditor for Stanford University, UCLA, and the University of California at Berkeley.
What courses will I take as part of the certificate?
Certificate participants take courses from Meridian's graduate curriculum that are offered during the period of their enrollment. The specific courses available each quarter are drawn from the anchor and other parts of the graduate curriculum, providing a rich and varied learning experience grounded in the certificate's focus area.
What technology do I need to participate?
You will need an email account, a high-speed internet connection, and access to a computer, iOS or Android device. For live video sessions, you will need a webcam and microphone for your device. Course video calls are conducted with participants video-enabled.
How many courses do I need to complete?
The certificate requires four courses. At Meridian, each course is 4 credits, so the 16-credit certificate is completed by taking four courses. You can take up to two courses per quarter (8 credits) to finish in 6 months, or one course per quarter (4 credits) to finish in 12 months.
How can I reach program support?
The program support team will be available to assist from start to finish. Please send your questions, requests, or issues to admissions@meridianuniversity.edu